Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:09 pm

Had a few minutes - went out to the shop - thinking easy enough short task take the four bolts out of the underside of the seat - so it can be sent off for reupholstering. Everything had been PB'd during the week......Grabbed a 5/8 six sided impact socket - Man 1 Seat Nothing and so it went till it was Man 3 Seat Nothing. Only one more for the clean-sweep.....

1 hour later after having the impact wrench twist the head off, drilling out the center of the stud, breaking a 3/16 drill off in the 1/8 inch hole. Out came the Oxyacetylene torch - heat, PB, heat, Oil - more heat...Finally whilst RED HOT I got 1/4 turn. Then more heat and after 5 or 6 more times out came this short little stub. Man now 4 seat Zero - Man Exhausted - Seat Wins....

The original factory bolt had been cross threaded into the seat bottom in 1948 - Don't believe that seat has ever been off.

Thought ya'll might enjoy the story.Happy Easter

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sat Mar 30, 2013 6:16 pm

Sometimes they're a little tougher than they look. At least you had fun working on your Cub.

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sat Mar 30, 2013 8:51 pm

Barnyard wrote: At least you had fun working on your Cub.

Yeah, right.....

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:14 am

Oh my Ken, brings back a lot of memories !

I've got a "Trophy Case" on the wall by the workbench with the collection of "Man vs. Machine" triumphs I've had over the many decades I've been turning wrenches

Headless bolts, boltless heads, threaded stubs with broken drill bits or "easy-outs" imbeded, nuts frozen in the middle of a section of thread, semi-molten things, others blue from the "hot wrench", rusted stuff couldn't even tell what it was... all of the memories attached to them still as vivid as the day I won

Get a "Trophy Case", years from now you'll sit back a laugh about those "trophies"

You did good and thanks for the smile, don

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sun Mar 31, 2013 11:34 am

I have seen a number of instances where cub bolts have been sheared off when using impact (air) wrenches. Since I only use sockets or other hand wrenches, I am wondering if the sudden torque is what is causing thr breakes. This winter I have almost completely dissasembled a 53 cub and have yet to break a bolt. Your thoughts

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sun Mar 31, 2013 11:41 am

At least you got some seat time! Happy Easter

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sun Mar 31, 2013 12:08 pm

bzsz1942 wrote:I have seen a number of instances where cub bolts have been sheared off when using impact (air) wrenches. Since I only use sockets or other hand wrenches, I am wondering if the sudden torque is what is causing thr breakes. This winter I have almost completely dissasembled a 53 cub and have yet to break a bolt. Your thoughts

Technique! If you just hammer away on the highest setting on the air wrench you'll break some. If you start out on a low setting and rattle the bolt in both directions back and forth before you increase in steps, it usually comes loose way before you get to the highest torque. Just as you can snap off stuck bolts with a breaker bar and a rapid push.

(General Rant warning on the subject of twisted bolts) if you break off say a 1/2" bolt because it is rusted/seized stuck, why would you drill a 3/8" hole in it and stick a piece of metal in it and expect the 3/8" piece of metal to hold up to the twisting force when the 1/2" one didn't? If your cars stuck and the cub won't pull it out do you go get your lawn tractor? I'm talking about "easy out" type tools here if anyone hasn't figured that out.

Always remember and observe the three P's of getting a stuck bolt loose. Penatrant, Patience, and Persistence

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:03 pm

Scrivet wrote:Always remember and observe the three P's of getting a stuck bolt loose. Penatrant, Patience, and Persistence

Propane

Re: Man vs. Seat Bolt the Final Four

Sun Mar 31, 2013 3:09 pm

bzsz1942 wrote:I have seen a number of instances where cub bolts have been sheared off when using impact (air) wrenches. Since I only use sockets or other hand wrenches, I am wondering if the sudden torque is what is causing thr breakes. This winter I have almost completely dissasembled a 53 cub and have yet to break a bolt. Your thoughts

Thanks to all for the interest in my post. Here's a bit more detail. This was the first bolt I used Impact tools on this job so far. It was kind of a last resort. It did take number 3 out with some bouncing around a bit correctly and w/o twisting the head off - had #4 not been cross-threaded at some point - I think the same would have happened w/it.